Suck at sports? Blame video games!
by Ross Miller 
{ Jul 21st 2006 at 9:15PM }
The following is a very odd opinion piece. In 255 words, author Nick Gholson of the Wichita Falls Times Record News (but here writing for Knoxville News Sentinel) laments on the failures of the United States in international sports: the Olympics, Wimbeldon, the World Cup. There's even a mention that the top players in the NBA Draft are foreign. We have all this doom and gloom about sports, and surely Gholson will give analysis as to why, or offer a solution.Instead, we get 20 words that "point out" the problem: "The kids from all over the world have been playing and practicing to get better. Ours are playing video games."
That's it. That is all Gholson offers -- no statistics, no justification, just a sentence that says "American kids are playing video games." If there is a joke here, we must be thick-headed, because we cannot seem to figure out his point. The connection to video games seems tacked on at the end to add to the sensationalism currently surrounded the games industry, and Gholson gives no explanation as to his accusation.
In other words, dancing causes cancer.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Deric @ Jul 21st 2006 9:23PM
Sweet. He is obviously a jounalist who holds high the inegrity of his profession, I'm sure he didnt' write this article in a hasty manner.
Now if only there was a way to discover his contact information so we could point out the ignorance in his writing capabilities directly to the source.
The ZeroCorpse @ Jul 21st 2006 9:30PM
This is a stupid theory. If it were true, then the Japanese would kick out butts at baseball and... well... baseball. If it were true, no Europeans would be good at sports, either.
By this guy's logic, some tribes in Africa and South America should be better at soccer, baseball, and skiing than Americans or Europeans.
I'd wager that Europeans, Australians, South Americans, and many, many Asians play as many (or more) video games as Americans. Gholson's an idiot.
But then, most sports journalists are morons. All one needs to do is read the sports page or watch the evening news to see prime examples of sports journalism's idiocy. When the career is made up of the most literate members of the sports community, that isn't setting the bar very high. Literacy in sports is somewhat like a sex in Antarctica. It happens- rarely- but the quality and quantity are in serious question.
Sports journalists are the game show hosts of the journalism world; Obnoxious, lowbrow, and clueless.
origamian @ Jul 21st 2006 9:31PM
This is my favourite part:
"And there are a whole lot more Kims and Yims and Chungs and Kungs than there are Smiths and Jones playing well on [the LPGA]."
So, he's basically saying that Americans are named Smith & Jones, while anybody named Kim or Chung CAN'T be an American?!?
There are so many things wrong with that, I don't know where to begin.
Chris @ Jul 21st 2006 9:33PM
Doesn't this guy realise that Americans have never been good at football? It's not like it's a recent trend.
Geist @ Jul 21st 2006 9:35PM
Maybe the US sucks at sports because they're becoming a nation of Fatty Mcfattypants?
Generalizations ftw.
Seriously though, the obesity epidemic probably contributes heavily to it, and I doubt it is all from just videogames.
HotShotX @ Jul 21st 2006 9:39PM
and with that...I'm gonna have to go out on a limb here and say McDonald's food makes people fat.
Oh, wait.
~HotShotX
dkh @ Jul 21st 2006 9:46PM
With all due respect, at least this guy's theory offers logic. Dancing causes cancer, joke as it may be, isn't an even remotely similar example.
dkh @ Jul 21st 2006 9:48PM
I think it would be wise for me to at least add on to my previous statement that it does lack a little logical thought in regards to what others are doing, but c'mon- I think it stands. Is it really that hard to at least imagine that people spending more time in front of a TV ends with fewer people going out and doing physical activities?
Krystal @ Jul 21st 2006 9:50PM
He makes me laugh.
The ZeroCorpse @ Jul 21st 2006 9:54PM
Corrections:
"This is a stupid theory. If it were true, then the Japanese would kick out butts at baseball and... well... baseball. If it were true, no Europeans would be good at sports, either. "
Should be:
This is a stupid theory. If it were true, then the Japanese wouldn't kick our butts at baseball and... well... baseball. If it were true, no Europeans would be good at sports, either.
Shadowstorm @ Jul 21st 2006 9:55PM
What an idiot.
Probot @ Jul 21st 2006 9:56PM
Let's ignore the video game scapegoating for a second.
The guy is insane. He's complaining that America is not perfect in every sport. It's jingoistic and almost racist in some parts. And he completely ignores the fact that other countries might just be getting better.
As for the video games, it's plain ignorance. He assumes that no other country plays video games and that sports and video games are somehow mutually exclusive.
[edited: can't put e-mails on the site 'cos spammers will get it. While some of you won't mind, we can't do that. If you want to give out the contact info, just tell people how you found it -- Rosco].
Jay @ Jul 21st 2006 10:08PM
How strange. I play games a lot yet I can also run marathons and am currently training for the iron man. I hate when people stereotype. Ok, most my money goes on games (DS) but that doesn't mean all my time goes there as well. I only spend about 3 hours a week playing games.
Bad reporter guy, some nobody reporter trying to get a name for himself. lols is the best word.
And yes, I'd hate to sound like I'm stereotyping but from the only US media we get in the UK, America is seen as some kind of "I don't care" country. If true (as I don't know) then perhaps that is due to lack of sports medals? Who knows. but this guy is wrong. I can't really offer anything myself without coming off as slightly racist myself.
Snurp @ Jul 21st 2006 10:10PM
Hopefully, by the time the start blaming the Middle East conflicts on video games, people will begin to catch on...
Zero_ @ Jul 21st 2006 10:35PM
Ah... how amusing the perception of America's placement in the world by Americans is. (Okay, I won't generalise; the perceptin of America in the world by that specific American 'journalist')
"We are the mightiest country in the world, so we should be the best in the world at sport!"
Who cares if you suck at sport? You don't have to be the best at everything, and when you're not, stop blaming it on things that you don't understand "you filthy american dog". (Ah, how I love Ocelot in MGS3)
nmqz @ Jul 21st 2006 10:38PM
I do suck at sports, and I do blame videogames...
I guess it's fault though...
PennTeller2 @ Jul 21st 2006 10:49PM
Sports? People still care for those?
mayb we should focus on video games makin u dumber their is probly loads of evidence to support that shit!
adam @ Jul 21st 2006 11:02PM
As a gamer (ds is my prefered system tho I like pretty much every system I've ever gotten my grubby hands on) and a cyclist who does a fair amount of races (street races and velodrome)....
*yawn*
i think the hand eye control I've had to develop from video games has deffinately helped my control on a bicycle. And video games have of COURSE fostered my desire to be competitive and perform well. You want to win a video game? You gotta work, be the best. You wanna win at sport? Same desire.
I blame poor diets, and people thinking cars are the only reason to get anywhere being why we suck at international sports.
Though come to think of it... Who had the most medals in the 2004 olympics? oh wait.
that was the US.
obo @ Jul 21st 2006 11:05PM
I bet he gets a raise for all the page hits this is generating.
Zo K. @ Jul 21st 2006 11:29PM
Which is exactly why I won't dance unless it's an absolute necessity. It can only end in tragedy. And on more than one level.
Faisal Rahman @ Jul 21st 2006 11:54PM
ummmm...this is a stupid theory...China has MUCH more gamers than the USA and the Chinese government is even trying to do something about the growing population of addicted gamers in China. And they came in 2nd place in the 2004 XXVIII Olympiad...
And he says America sucks in the Olympics?! They were 1st place in the 2004 olympics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Summer_Olympics
LaughingTarget @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:09AM
This guy is also under the mistaken impression that the United States is supposed to be the ultimate best at everything. Never you mind the USA has never done well in the World Cup nor is it expected that a nation of 300 million is going to always dominate when the rest of the world has 7 billion to chose from, especially when other nations have national budgets to train Olympians. The simple fact we do this well without government backing shows just how dedicated and driven American athletes really are.
Nuts to this guy.
Jeff @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:16AM
"China has MUCH more gamers than the USA and the Chinese government is even trying to do something about the growing population of addicted gamers in China. And they came in 2nd place in the 2004 XXVIII Olympiad..."
Probably not the best example to support your argument, considering that China has 1.3 billion people.
All else being equal, you'd kind of expect the biggest country in the world to do better than most in sports. In fact, all else being equal, you'd kind of expect them to be the best. Obviously, all isn't equal. And if you were a conspiracy theorist like this guy, you could point to games as being one of the differences between China and some of its less populous sports competitors.
So, yeah, probably not a great example there.
A better example would be Japan, which plays more video games than us, has less than half the population and still beat us at our own game at the World Baseball Classic.
fabest @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:24AM
I guess the author must be playing videogames a lot to be so bad at journalism.
Here in France the current footballers are known as the "Playstation generation" because they play videogames (mainly "Pro Evolution Soccer") a lot in their rooms between matches. Well they made it to the World Cup final, which is not that bad ;)
GoldCow64 @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:26AM
Yea, there was just a story in my local newspaper about the US sucking at sports. I actually haven't read it yet. But ppl seem to be doubting the US after we did at the World Cup. I guess we shouldn't have gotten our hopes up.
blast flame @ Jul 22nd 2006 3:22AM
Thank god that was not published in my country (Australia). Everyone here (besides me it seems) is sport mad and will do everything to make their team win. They'd probly try to ban video games if it would mean (or they thought it would) their team got one more point.
http://sportssuck.org and http://antifootballleague.org/ member blast flame reporting from Australia
ThornedVenom @ Jul 22nd 2006 4:26AM
Lemme get this straight... America, a country who has a shitload of problems (such as the Middle East whose war is supposed to be finished, the ever-so-increasing debt and a flawed penitenciary system) is more concerned about gay marriages and video game violence supposedly responsible of America's youth's behaviour? Is it just me or are some people thinking that that's probably why Bush has enormous disapproval rates?
Anyways, about the article: how could that person say that on the media without real proof? It's unverified information trying to be broadcasted as an affirmation... it's almost slander in my opinion.
epobirs @ Jul 22nd 2006 4:36AM
Another little detail the author has apparently missed is the number of American athletes playing in foreign leagues because the competition for the available positions within pro sports in the US is so intense.
As well, if you have a team with a payroll measuring over $100 million a year, chances are you also have a capacity for scouting that allows for searching exotic locations where the sport is relatively unknown but, for instance, a guy who stands over seven feet tall in good health may be worth training for a basketball gig.
Personally, I sucked at sports before there was much beyond Pong in the arcades. I guess I was ahead of my time.
kip @ Jul 22nd 2006 10:20AM
As a coach I actually think video games make kids better players. Where else can you set up your own learning lab to see what sort of plays and configurations work.I also believe that playing of video games requires skill and that playing them is a sport in its own right. I also believe that kids should spend time outside and play some team sports but the idea of betting the farm on playing pro sports is so idiotic. Sports are a gift that have been passed down and are a priveledge got people to play, not a right. Want to blame America lackign in sports then blame the lack of coaches for the middle and high school levels, the inability of the suburbs to allow kids from metropolitan/city areas to compete in their leagues, and the helicopter parents sending their kid to all sorts of camps to become specialized in a particular sport, killing any chance for other sports to be played.
TeddyN @ Jul 22nd 2006 10:56AM
lol!
Because America is world-renowned for being bad at sport. Give me a break. Afghanistan doesn't win too many international sports trophies. I guess their children are just absorbed in their xbox 360's and alienware PC's.
The scary thing is, though, I can think of a hell of a lot of people who will buy that sort of stuff. It's one of those accusations that is easy to agree with in your head on basic level yet doesn't make any sense in the wider context.
Jay @ Jul 22nd 2006 3:42PM
At least his grammar is good. You can compliment his grammar by contacting him. His work phone number and e-mail address are on his paper's website.
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/main/article/0,2586,TRN_25018_4169951,00.html
Meridyan @ Jul 22nd 2006 5:45PM
Actually, playing sports-themed videogames and rl sports can lead to improvements in the latter. At least that was the case with me, because playing Pro Evolution Soccer helped me improve my performance slightly in actual football as well.
TC @ Jul 22nd 2006 8:48PM
Ross:
This Nick Gholson may have a point though - you guys were too caught up playing video games to even spell 'Wimbledon' correctly, let alone play in it! ;)
Franklin @ Jul 22nd 2006 10:26PM
Video games may not be making Americans fatter. Video games may be popular BECAUSE Americans are fatter (and thus are less inclined to take up physical sports activities). The argument/theory can go both ways.
Barry "ImperialCreed" White @ Jul 24th 2006 5:33AM
I just sent this guy an email, I just couldn't stand to let this kind of thing slide. It's below...
Dear Mr. Gholson,
I am writing to congratulate you on your fantastically analytical and thoroughly researched piece featured recently on the Knoxville News Sentinel website entitled "Blame video games for demise of U.S.
sports".
You sir, despite a complete lack of corroborative evidence, genuine scientific research or any other information to back up your claim, have tried (and failed, I'm afraid) to convince me and the world at
large that video games are indeed entirely at fault for the United States decidedly average show of sporting ability in recent times. Truly, in that single, final line of the piece where you state: "The kids from all over the world have been playing and practicing to get
better. Ours are playing video games." you drive your point home with such utter conviction that I at first struggled to find fault with what you had said.
But then, as I pondered your words, several things occurred to me. For a start, you seemed so sure of your position that you didn't feel the need to support the claim you make at the end of the article with any
evidence whatsoever, instead opting to sneak it in at the close. While it is true that the popularity of video games is on the rise, that is not evidence in itself for what you claim. By your logic, I can just
as easily assert that playing sports causes heart disease.
Second, I couldn't help but take note of some of the sporting facts listed in your article. You may have failed to notice that as one of the most multicultural societies in the world, America is chock full
of citizens with names such as "Kims and Yims and Chungs and Kungs", in addition to the Smiths and Joneses, and I have to say I found that
entry to be subtlely racist. Rest assured, I am not branding you a racist, but I would suggest that you need to rethink your stereotypes.
The Ryder Cup resides in Europe, you got that right, and the U.S. will technically be the underdogs this time around as they are not on home turf. However, what the likes of Phil Mickelson's or Tiger Woods' performance on the course has to do with video games is beyond me. Mind you, Tiger has lent his name to a series of phenomenally successful golf games published by Electronic Arts, so I suppose the subsequent increase in his popularity and the size of his wallet can only have been detrimental to his game.
The United States soccer team did not distinguish themselves at this year's World Cup in Germany. However, you seem to be forgetting their phenomenal showing at the previous World Cup where, as an always
underrated team, they did a fantastic job and really punched above their weight before exiting the tournament. Again, I am left at a loss
as to what video games have to do with the team's performance. Interestingly, South Korea had a technically better performance in Germany, managing to chalk up a win against Togo and drawing with the
mighty France. South Korea is also famous for having a very large and dedicated population of video gamers, with matches between some players even being televised on national networks, while the market for Massively Mutliplayer Online Role Playing Games is at its most
prolific in the Asian countries.
I could go on, Mr. Gholson, but I think you can see my point. You're article was beyond poor, offered no proper argument and was totally without basis in fact, relying on mere coincidence and entirely rooted
in the kind of reactionary scapegoating that seems to be plaguing media outlets and political circles at the moment. I understand you have been a professional journalist since the 1970's and frankly you
should have known better. I hope you read this letter in the informative spirit it was intended.
Yours,
Barry White